Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVI The History of the Floating Fly and Some of Its Interesting Literature WHO invented the artificial floating fly and the methods of using it? During the winter months of 191011, the author read in the neighborhood of one hundred and fifty angling books, or at least looked carefully over their pages, having in mind, incidentally, the idea of discovering, if possible, the first mention of the dry-fly in angling literature. In one old book, published about a century ago, he found a story of a French angler living in Scotland who tied his imitation flies in what the author called "a peculiar The Dry-Fly in Its Infancy way," so that they "floated longer on the surface of the water after being cast than the ordinary wet fly." But in reading Mr. G. P. R. Pulman's "Vade-Mecum of Fly-Fishing for Trout," published in 1851, I came across what seemed to be a description of our present-day theory of the dry-fly, This subject, I have since learned, was mentioned in a much smaller edition of Mr. Pulman's work, published in 1846. In the summer of 1911,1 wrote to Mr. R. B. Marston, of London, asking for information about the early history of the dry-fly in England, and he in turn consulted Mr. William Senior, the well-known "Red Spinner" of angling literature. Mr. Senior referred to Mr. Pulman's book as containing the first mention of the dry-fly of which he was aware, but added: "I am now away from all my books and papers and cannot give you a definite reply to your question." Mr. Marston, in sending to me Mr. Senior's letter, said: "I feel sure it was in Pulman's 'Vade-Mecum, ' 1846, that Mr. Senior discovered one of the first references to dry-fly fishing, though in earlier works there have been remarks which make one feel pretty certain it...